Instant: The Story of Polaroid

Instant: The Story of Polaroid

3.83 of 5 stars 3.83  ·  rating details  ·  128 ratings  ·  33 reviews
"Instant photography at the push of a button!" During the 1960s and '70s, Polaroid was the coolest technology company on earth. Like Apple, it was an innovation machine that cranked out one must-have product after another. Led by its own visionary genius founder, Edwin Land, Polaroid grew from a 1937 garage start-up into a billion-dollar pop-culture phenomenon. Instant tel...more
Hardcover, 192 pages
Published September 26th 2012 by Princeton Architectural Press
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Stephen
I blazed through this book. It's definitely a quick read and left me wanting to read more into the company. Written in a somewhat more informal style than what you might expect. At times it feels more like a transcript of a lecture or documentary film. But at the end of it I definitely felt more informed about Edwin Land and Polaroid, and as someone who is starting to get into shooting with an old Land Camera from the 1960s, I finished this book feeling inspired to keep pushing both the film and...more
William Ramsay
This book was a bit disappointing to me. Of course, the fact that I spent my entire work career at Polaroid may have something to do with my take on the company and why I feel Bonanos didn't get it quite right. I joined Polaroid in 1965 and was not a part of the early years, which the author covers quite interestingly. Where he fails to win my praise is in the two areas. First, he gives too much credit - and spends too much time - talking about the affect Polaroid had on the arts. True, Andy War...more
Breakingviews
Review by Quentin Webb

Polaroid reinvented photography, but faded away. Christopher Bonanos’s “Instant: The Story of Polaroid” is a pacey history of the Apple of the analogue age.

Polaroid’s not-quite “instant” images seem quaint these days. They could not be duplicated easily, let alone transmitted electronically. In 1948, though, they were revolutionary. It took hours, not minutes, to develop conventional film.

The upstart company became a tech sensation. The public was smitten, as were artists s...more
Jenn Ravey
From the book cover:

Instant tells the remarkable tale of Edwin Land's one-of-a-kind invention - from Polaroid's first instant camera to hit the market in 1948 to its meteoric rise in popularity and adoption by artists such as Ansel Adams, Andy Warhol, and Chuck Close, to the company's dramatic decline into bankruptcy in the late '90s and its unlikely resurrection in the digital age. Instant is both an inspiring tale of American ingenuity and a cautionary business tale about the perils of compan...more
Liam
"[A]ccording to Jobs' then-boss John Sculley, the two inventors described to each other a singular experience: Each had imagined a perfect new product, whole, already manufactured and sitting before him, and then spent years prodding executives, engineers, and factories to create it with as few compromises as possible." (13)

"'We want to ... make the working life of every single American a challenging and rewarding life. Now, I don't mean that you'll be "happy," I mean that you are going to be un...more
Gary Schroeder
Looking for an addictive and breezy little non-fiction book that you can polish off on a round trip plane flight? "Instant" is your ticket. This slim little volume covering the history of one of the most recognizable names in corporate America--and purveyors of one of the world's most memorable products--is written in a friendly, conversational style that really pulled me along.

Everyone except the very youngest among us fondly remember the pre-digital thrill of snapping a photo and seeing the re...more
Hayfa Qahtani
عندما ارتبط والداي قبل أكثر من ٣٠ سنة، حمل كل منهما صندوق البولارويد الخاصّ به، ومن اجتماع الصناديق، جاءت أقدم صورة مؤرخة لي، صورة وأنا في أسبوعي الأول تحملني ابنة خالتي والجميع ينظرون بذهول للجهاز العجائبي الذي ولد في بداية القرن، وما زال حتى يومنا يبهرنا، الصورة اللامعة التي تنزلق من الكاميرا، هز الصورة حتى تجف - على الرغم من أن شركة بولارويد صرحت أكثر من مرة أن ذلك خاطئ ويفسدها- الصورة التي عاشت أكثر من أصحابها في أحيان كثيرة !
هذا الكتاب مبهج وملون، وعلى الرغم من المقاطع التقنية المفصلة عن عم...more
Jessica
This type of book is right up my alley: Engaging non-fiction that wraps biography, history, business, technology, and photography in a casual and conversational tone.

Instant film is close to my heart ... I've had dinner with Florian Kaps, Paul Giambarba, and John Reuter; Dave Bias and Anne Bowerman are good friends; and I met Andre Bosman when at The Impossible Project's film announcement event. So in some ways I felt like I was reading a book of family stories.

Even if you're not into photograp...more
Sankarshan
A wonderful short write-up on Polaroid and how it aspired to be part of the Americana it was invented in. The author pulls up diverse sources to demonstrate the aggressively inventive culture which Land nurtured and how in terms of charisma Land defined "mind bending" scientific temper, discipline and hard work. The sheer number of smaller problems which were solved in order to lead up the the SX-70 or its predecessors are covered in detail (with references). And, that is why it becomes more pai...more
Thelma
Having lived through the time frame of Polaroid's development and high popularity, I found this book fascinating. Just the reminder of the things invented during my lifetime that are now commonplace is an eye-opener. I enjoy stories about dynamic, driven businessmen (and women!) with vision and will to 'get it done', so this book was right up my alley. The Polaroid story is on-going and Bonanos gave me a great overview of not only its history, but where the company is still headed.

Now the downsi...more
Kyla
First of all, I will read/buy/love anything published by Princeton Architectural Press. Their book design is so far superior to most, I want to show up on their front doorstep one day and just kinda bask in the glory. And I love Polaroid cameras and film so this was a lovely marriage for me. This overview of Polaroid was a perfect quick read with lots of examples - it knew it didn't need to be the definitive doorstop of a book. But the info about the R and D and the collaboration with artists in...more
Danielle
At first I thought this book would be all about the instant photograph that I've associated Polaroid with through my entire childhood. However, the book went into the founding of the company with its visionary leader, Edwin Land. His ideas, his inventions changed not only how we "see" photos but film in general. He changed the way movies were made and created polarized glass. I found this book fascinating. It is a very quick read about a company that had been a huge staple in Boston. Had some ma...more
Patti
This book brought me back to all those times the Polaroid camera came out when we were growing up and made me smile as I remembered my dad's delight in the instant results of the picture taking. It is a fascinating story of a company dominated by its founder and the amazing things he and it accomplished because of the go for it culture he established. The stories of the early inventions were fascinating such as the Polaroid Sight-Conditioning train window.

After Land left the company, the stories...more
Kenny Stoltz
I really love polaroid and I'm a sucker for business/science profiles... but this felt a little lacking somehow. I think the real issue is that Edwin Land requested his papers be burnt, meaning that the portrait of him was very vague. Beyond that I feel that one of the most amazing stories of the book, that Polaroid had a huge number of women involved in scientific and managerial work, did not get a great narrative. It felt somewhere between the land of fact and story, and I went into it hoping...more
Prajwal
The first thing that came to my mind when I read this book was “History Repeats”. I had heard of Polaroid but all I knew of it was the Polaroid Instant Camera, the one where you click and it spits out an instant image. I remember many years back, we had the Polaroid Studio where we used to get instant passport size snaps. I vaguely recall the Polaroid TV Advert, which featured Pankaj Kapoor getting clicked Instantly. I still do see a lot of Polaroid cams in ‘Just for Laugh Gags’.

The Genius Edwin...more
Leslie
I never owned a Polaroid camera, but I love this book. Bonanos's account of the rise and fall of the Polaroid corporation - and its genius founder, Edwin Land - weaves together art, science, and business. I wasn't surprised to learn how Land excelled as a communicator, but I was struck by integral art was in the company's growth: some of Land's landmark inventions were actually projects spearheaded by women from Smith's art history department (he had them take chemistry classes); artists like An...more
Jordan Weissmann
A great short history of an iconic American company that, much like Apple today, stood at the intersection of culture and tech for three decades. Much of Polaroid's story is really the tale of its founder, Edwin Land, a Harvard dropout, gifted scientist, and arts lover who had a talent for captivating the press, along with a habit of waxing philosophical about the world-changing power of his inventions. (If all of that sounds a bit familiar, yes, Steve Jobs did consider Land an idol). Like many...more
Stacy
I read this by flashlight after Hurricane Sandy knocked out the power in my neighborhood. Even under these difficult circumstances I couldn't put it down. It's a great story about an amazing product that many of us are very emotionally attached to, and Christopher Bonanos told it so well. I got to know the people well, and why the company ended up shutting its doors (sob). Thank you Polaroid, for all the great years, and thank you Christopher Bonanos for this wonderful book.
Mike Rodman
There's something sad about this biography of Polaroid. They made some great products but didn't have the courage to change course and go digital. They were ready to come out with a camera that would have put them at the fore of the digital revolution, but pulled the plug so as not to cannibalize their film business. Makes you wonder what could have been. There is nothing more instant than digital and, as the book notes, Polaroid is synonymous with instant photography.
Corné
Instant is a truly beautiful company biography. And Polaroid is certainly very grateful subject matter. The beauty relates to the typography as well as the images and photography. To the point that the imagery is so rich, it actually takes away from the narrative. And that is a real pity because Christopher Bonanos has made a very nice merger of technology, economics and art. Especially the elaborate attention to the role Polaroid played in the work of many artists has made this company biograph...more
Diana
A concise and excellent description of the rise of the Polaroid empire and its creative force, Edwin Land. A pop-culture phenomenon that now forms an indelible part of our lexicon (the term "polaroid" is synonymous with instant viewing of analog photos), the development and success of this spectacular technology, much like its spiritual successor company and CEO (Apple and Steve Jobs) relied on a unique approach that encouraged creativity and innovation. Dissection of its subsequent failure may...more
Mal
Fascinating story of one of the greatest minds of our time. Edwin Land was an inspiration to many, including Steve Jobs who modelled the early Apple company on Land's Polaroid Corp. Brilliant photographs highlight important technical advances and beautiful products. The story of the company's demise and the creation of Impossible round out the coverage. A great read for anyone and a must-read for Polaroid buffs.
George
This was a depressing read. Polaroid spent BILLIONS on R&D, filed for bankruptcy multiple times, and now they're just a group of 30 people slapping the Polaroid logo onto DVD players and other electronics they don't make. There was a nice plug near the end for The Impossible Project. I wish the book was longer, more detailed, and had A LOT more photos. You know... since it's about Polaroid.
Ben
This short book felt more like a long brochure sold at the Polaroid Museum gift shop. It's only 175 pages before the index, and of that, maybe 40 pages are pictures. The book barely scratches the chemical-coated surface of Polaroid's development and impact on American culture. Still, it's a worthwhile library check-out or perhaps a decent coffee table book.
David Gallin-Parisi
Now I want to find and purchase every Polaroid branded item that exists and save it. The art design is impeccable: colorful and photographic in the best way for this subject. If you can't read this, at least flip through the pages and enjoy the design. Recommended for photobook lovers, polaroid fans, and those who liked the Steve Jobs biography.
Chris Terrell
Only criticism is that Edwin Land remains elusive even after reading this book. But then again, it really should be seen more as bio of the company and not Land himself. This is one book better read in paper and not on an e-reader.
Irene-ann
A super interesting fairly quick read, mixing art, industrial design, business and pop culture. Plus the book itself is a work of art - beautiful photos throughout and fab weight and texture to the pages.
Phil Chen
Fun read, Edwin Land is fascinating, and a true innovator. It probably doesn't hurt I always liked Polaroid, but I recommend this if you want to see how old school startups ran things.
Mounir Bashour
I had ro read it. Chris is one of my floor mates from University and helped me write my first resume.
Good Job Chris!
Ang
I was surprised by how quickly this read, but also disappointed with it. It started fast, and then...petered out.
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